In my book, there’s nothing better to cook with than cast iron. A beautifully cared for and seasoned cast iron skillet only cooks better and better over time. The cook and the taste of the food cooked in cast iron is just different than anything else. The results are better! When I started cooking with cast iron, don’t get me wrong, I was TERRIFIED. I had heard how hard it was to cook with and to take care of. Let me tell you, now that I’ve started, I don’t know what those people were talking about! It’s simple, cooks well, and it will still be in my kitchen when I’m 80 and all my other dishes have broken or are no longer of use. That being said, there are definite Do’s and Don’ts for cast iron.
1st Do and Don’t
Do: Keep your cast iron dry! The most important thing about cast iron is keeping it dry. Simply wash your cast iron, dry it with a towel, and then stick it on the stove to warm up again until all the remaining moisture is evaporated.
REMEMBER that when cast iron is heated, the handle(s) heat up too!! Don’t touch them without an oven mitt or such once they are heated!
Don’t: Leave water in or on it. It WILL rust. If you do get rust, you will have to scrub it off with steel wool until you get back to the raw cast iron again. Then you will need to wash it thoroughly with warm soapy water and reseason it once it’s clean and dry again. (Seasoning directions below.)
2nd Do and Don’t
Do: Use enough butter or oil when cooking so that things don’t stick terribly. Once you have finished cooking, always let your cast iron cool down before washing.
Don’t: Submerge hot cast iron in water. It could crack and break, which would be a tragedy.
3rd Do and Don’t
Do: Wash your cast iron in warm water. If there are really stuck on bits, you can pour some salt on them to help scrub them off.
Don’t: Use metal to scrape at stuck on bits. This can damage the seasoned layers! Also, don’t use dish soap if you don’t absolutely have to. Dish soap can break down the beautiful seasoned layers we’ve worked so hard to achieve over time! If you do have to use soap, season the cast iron again when it’s clean and dry!
Seasoning
Whenever you feel your cast iron isn’t as nonstick as it should be (or just because) you will need to “season” it again. Don’t let that scare you. It’s super easy.
Take the clean and dry cast iron and drizzle a little oil in it. With a paper towel, rub the oil around all over – inside and out. Turn the oven to 450° and set the cast iron in upside down. (Let it heat up with the oven). Set a timer for an hour and once it goes off, turn the oven off. Simply leave the cast iron to cool down along with the oven. When it’s cooled, it has been seasoned and is ready to be used again! Enjoy!
Need to purchase a cast iron skillet? I love my 12″ Cast Iron skillet! It can handle anything I want to cook! If you need something a little smaller though, this 10.25″ skillet is also wonderful! Happy cooking!
I never knew how to season a cast iron skillet, or why. Thanks!
You’re most welcome! 🙂